Workers are more than just a cog in the economic machine, ADPD - The Green Party said on Thursday.

"The government's view of the worker is simply that of a resource. It is no wonder that Malta's minimum wage is amongst the lowest to be found in the European Union, since the 'cost' of this 'resource' is kept as low as possible. It also comes as no surprise that our current economic growth is based on land speculation and schemes such as the hawking of citizenship for the super wealthy, and other sectors dependent on low wages, such as construction, land speculation, and tourism," the party said. "So-called economic growth is not reaching workers, neither is it going towards their training and development. Instead, in an economy based on speculation, this growth is being concentrated in the pockets and assets of speculators."

ADPD - The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that "instead of ensuring that the minimum wage truly reflects the necessary minimum needed to live with dignity, this government resorts to fake charity every now and then by distributing the occasional cheque.  This is not social justice but an insult, as it makes people depend on crumbs from the government. According to an EU directive, the government is obliged to monitor the adequacy of the minimum wage and report back to the European Commission every two years.  It would be interesting to know if the government is actually having the necessary studies done. These studies should be published as soon as possible. Reports by Caritas, and Alleanza kontra l-Faqar/GWU have consistently shown that the minimum wage is not at all adequate for today's needs."

"Whilst workers have made considerable progress fighting for their rights over the years, we are still collectively guilty of the fact that there are still workers who face work conditions like those of a century ago. The state has the obligation to make sure that all workers, whoever they may be, are to be treated decently, with work conditions that respect their dignity.  We still see too many accidents in the construction sector. There sectors that thrive on low wages, such as those in the care sector. A sector plagued by a lack of training and a lack of good career prospects."

"With only 31% of workers covered by a collective agreement, Malta is amongst EU countries with a very low rate of union membership.  Even though the party in government claims to be the worker's party, the government has focused on sectors that make the rich richer. Take for example the Maltese golden citizenship scheme, it is obvious that this was designed to make land speculators and legal firms richer than ever. Not to mention the pricing of people out of the housing market. The crumbs are reserved for vulnerable workers. In spite of the government having the legal tools to strengthen or to build upon Wage Regulation Orders, by which could regulate better sectors known for low wages and bad working conditions, no such action has been taken."

ADPD - The Green Party Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said "We welcome the EU directive mandating the coverage of at least 80% of workers by a collective agreement, which if implemented seriously would result in all workers benefiting from better working conditions. Various reports from federations of trade unions around Europe, as well as studies on employment from a progressive lens, amongst them a study by Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, give a clear direction as to how we can increase the number of workers covered by a collective agreement.  A positive effect of this directive may also be the increase in the number of specialised unions in sectors which are not currently unionised being established."

"The first thing that the government could have done was to push for sectoral collective agreements between employer representatives in various sectors, for example in tourism and retail, and the unions of choice of workers in these sectors. This could have been done without waiting for an EU directive. But the so-called 'workers' party in government' could not be bothered. The government could have strengthened the Wage Regulations Order, particularly in sectors where unions find it difficult to organise. The Employment Relations Board can be given greater authority to demand effective dialogue in the more difficult sectors.  However, the government is not willing to rock the boat. As suggested by Professor Baldacchino, in situations where fewer than 50% of workers are represented by a union, the law should be changed to allow unions to negotiate on behalf of their members, with agreements extended to all workers in the sector. This would give union members the right to a collective agreement. Automatic union membership is the only option being considered by the government. This is a viable option, but must necessarily be offered in conjunction with an opt-out clause (due to the constitutional principle concerning the freedom of association)."

"To counteract free riders, a fund to which non-union workers should contribute should be established by the government to cover the expenses involved for negotiations on behalf of workers and employers. We are not reinventing the wheel but simply pointing out best-practices in other countries."

"The government has wasted enough time despite having at its disposal all the legal tools necessary concerning industrial relations. Industrial relations' legislation should be updated to reflect today's needs, with a focus on improving workers' conditions, particularly those of the most vulnerable workers," he said.